Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a plurality of power transistor driver channels for driving external loads. The driver channels can be selectively configured as high-side (HS) or low-side (LS) driver channels. The integrated circuit includes, for each driver channel, a respective on-state test circuit and a respective controller. The on-state test circuits can be selectively configured to test for HS overcurrent conditions, LS overcurrent conditions, HS open load conditions, and LS open load conditions.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes: receiving a first plurality of digital codes from a time-to-digital converter (TDC); TDC; generating a coarse histogram from the first plurality of digital codes; detecting a peak coarse bin from the plurality of coarse bins; after receiving the first plurality of digital codes, receiving a second plurality of digital codes from the TDC; and generating a fine histogram from the second plurality of digital codes based on the detected peak coarse bin, where a fine histogram depth range is narrower than a coarse histogram depth range, where a lowest fine histogram depth is lower or equal to a lowest coarse peak depth, and where a highest fine histogram depth is higher or equal to a highest coarse peak depth.

Abstract: A MEMS device is provided that includes a semiconductor substrate including a main surface extending perpendicular to a first direction and a side surface extending on a plane parallel to the first direction and to a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. At least one cantilevered member protrudes from the side surface of the semiconductor substrate along a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions. The at least one cantilevered member includes a body portion that includes a piezoelectric material. The body portion has a length along the third direction, a height along the first direction and a width along the second direction, and the height is greater than the width. The at least one cantilevered member is configured to vibrate by lateral bending along a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an USB interface includes a transformer, a primary winding of the transformer and a first switch connected in series between a first node and a second node, a secondary winding of the transformer and a component connected in series between a third node and a fourth node, the fourth node configured to be set a first reference potential, a second switch connected between the third node and a first terminal, the first terminal configured to provide an output voltage of the USB interface; wherein the component is configured to avoid a current circulation in the secondary winding when the first switch is closed and a control circuit configured to compare a first voltage of an interconnection node between the secondary winding and the component to a first threshold and compare the first voltage to a second threshold when the first voltage is, in absolute values, above the first threshold.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a support substrate with leads arranged therearound, a semiconductor die on the support substrate, and a layer of laser-activatable material molded onto the die and the leads. The leads include proximal portions facing towards the support substrate and distal portions facing away from the support substrate. The semiconductor die includes bonding pads at a front surface thereof which is opposed to the support substrate, and is arranged onto the proximal portions of the leads. The semiconductor device has electrically-conductive formations laser-structured at selected locations of the laser-activatable material.

Abstract: A back end of line (BEOL) structure for an integrated circuit chip includes a last metal structure providing a bonding pad. A passivation structure over the bonding pad includes a first opening extending exposing an upper surface of the bonding pad. A conformal nitride layer extends over the passivation structure and is placed in contact with the upper surface of the bonding pad. An insulator material layer covers the conformal nitride layer and includes a second opening that extends through both the insulator material layer and the conformal nitride layer. A foot portion of the conformal nitride layer on the upper surface of the bonding pad is self-aligned with the second opening.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide an ejection device for a fluid. The ejection device includes a first semiconductor wafer, housing, on a first side thereof, a piezoelectric actuator and an outlet channel for the fluid alongside the piezoelectric actuator; a second semiconductor wafer having, on a first side thereof, a recess and, on a second side thereof opposite to the first side, at least one inlet channel for said fluid fluidically coupled to the recess; and a dry-film coupled to a second side, opposite to the first side, of the first wafer. The first and the second wafers are coupled together so that the piezoelectric actuator and the outlet channel are set directly facing, and completely contained in, the recess that forms a reservoir for the fluid. The dry-film has an ejection nozzle.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a switching converter includes: a switching stage including first and second switching devices for receiving an input voltage and for providing an output voltage; a driving stage including first and second driving devices for driving the first and second switching devices, respectively; a current sensing arrangement for sensing an output current provided by the switching stage; a voltage generation arrangement configured to generate a supply voltage for powering the driving stage, the voltage generation arrangement being configured to adjust the supply voltage according to the sensed output current; and a charge recovery stage configured to store a first electric charge being lost from the first driving device during driving of the first switching device and to release at least partially the stored first electric charge to the second driving device during driving of the second switching device.

Abstract: A low-dropout regulator includes a power stage having an output terminal coupled to a load circuit operable in different operating modes in which it receives different output currents. An error amplifier has a first input coupled to a reference voltage and an output coupled to an input terminal of the power stage. A compensation circuit includes a first stage with an RC filter coupled to the input terminal of the power stage, and generating an initial compensation voltage. A second stage includes a first transistor coupled between a supply voltage and a second node, and controlled by a complementary control signal, a high-side capacitor coupled between the second node and ground, and a third transistor coupled between the initial compensation voltage and the second node, and controlled by a control signal representative of the current operating mode of the load circuit.

Abstract: An antenna configured for near field communication includes a first coil for transmitting and receiving signals having a first frequency and a second coil for transmitting and receiving signals having a second frequency greater than at least twice the first frequency. The first and second coils are magnetically coupled with a coupling coefficient greater than 0.5.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a power supply terminal, a reference terminal, and a signal terminal. A first protection device is coupled between the signal terminal and the power supply terminal, the first protection device including a first MOS transistor. A second protection device is coupled between the signal terminal and the reference terminal, the second protection device including a second MOS transistor. Gates of the MOS transistors are directly or indirectly coupled to the reference terminal. Substrates of the MOS transistors are coupled to the reference terminal via a common resistor.

Abstract: In an embodiments, a method for operating a time-of-flight (ToF) ranging array includes: illuminating a field-of-view (FoV) of the ToF ranging array with radiation pulses; receiving reflected radiation pulses with a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) in a region of interest (ROI) of the ToF ranging array, the plurality of SPADs arranged in a plurality of SPAD clusters; determining an ambient count of ambient light events generated by SPADs of a first SPAD cluster of the plurality of SPAD clusters; and gating an output of the first SPAD cluster based on the ambient count.

Abstract: A system includes lighting devices coupled to output supply pins, a microcontroller circuit, and a driver circuit, which receives data therefrom, and switches coupled in series to the lighting devices. The driver circuit includes output supply pins and selectively propagates a supply voltage to the output supply pins to provide respective pulse-width modulated supply signals at the output supply pins. The driver circuit computes duty-cycle values of the pulse-width modulated supply signals as a function of the data received from the microcontroller circuit. The lighting devices include at least one subset coupled to the same output supply pin. The microcontroller individually controls the switches via respective control signals to individually adjust a brightness of the lighting devices in the at least one subset of lighting devices.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical gyroscope includes a support structure, a driving mass movable according to a driving axis; and an oscillating microelectromechanical loop. The microelectromechanical loop has a resonance frequency and a loop gain and includes the driving mass, a sensing interface that senses a position of the driving mass, and a gain control stage that maintains a modulus of the loop gain at a unitary value at the resonance frequency. The gain control stage includes a sampler and an transconductance operational amplifier in an open-loop configuration. The sampler acquires samples of a loop signal from the sensing interface in a first operative condition and transfers them to the transconductance operational amplifier in a second operative condition. The sampler decouples the transconductance operational amplifier from the sensing interface in the first operative condition and in the second operative condition.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with a hot-plug protection circuit includes input pins and an output pin. The input pins are electrically coupled to a common node in the hot-plug protection circuit via respective electrical connections. The integrated circuit includes clamping circuitry coupled between the common node and the output pin, the clamping circuitry activatable as a result of a voltage spike applied across the clamping circuitry. The plurality of electrical connections and the clamping circuitry provide respective current discharge paths between the input pins in the input pins and the output pin, the respective current discharge paths configured to become conductive as a result of a voltage spike applied to any of the input pins in the plurality of input pins being transferred to the common node via the respective electrical connection in the plurality of electrical connections electrically coupling said any of said input pins to the common node.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by a device, of a control signal identifying a first application from among a plurality of compressed applications stored in a non-volatile memory of the device. The first application is stored in a first location of the non-volatile memory. The device decompresses the first application. The decompressing includes storing the decompressed first application into the non-volatile memory at least partially into the first location, and into a second location storing a second compressed application among the plurality of applications. The decompressed first application overwriting at least a portion of the second compressed application. The method may be performed as part of a customization process of an integrated circuit including the non-volatile memory.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a first layer with an antenna and a second metal layer that extends over the entire first layer. The second metal layer includes at least one laterally-closed cavity that is located vertically above the antenna. The cavity is filled, at least in part, by a resin material. A first plate supporting a second metal plate extends over the cavity with the second metal plate positioned vertically above the antenna. The first metal plate may be supported by a ledge within the cavity. Alternatively, the second metal plate is embedded in the resin filling the cavity, with the second metal plate positioned vertically above the antenna.

Abstract: A method to detect a vocal command, the method including: analyzing audio data received from a transducer configured to convert audio into an electric signal and analyzing the data using a first neural network. The method also includes detecting a keyword from the audio data using the first neural network on the edge device, the first neural network being trained to recognize the keyword. The method further includes activating a second neural network after the keyword is identified by the first neural network and analyzing the audio data using the second neural network, the second neural network being trained to recognize a set of vocal commands. The method to detect a vocal command may also include detecting the vocal command word using the second neural network.

Abstract: A device, including a main element and a set of at least two auxiliary elements, said main element including a master SWP interface, each auxiliary element including a slave SWP interface connected to said master SWP interface of said NFC element through a controllably switchable SWP link and management means configured to control said SWP link switching for selectively activating at once only one slave SWP interface on said SWP link.

Abstract: A method includes driving a selected motor winding to be in a tri-state during a time interval having a finite time length value of a time window, sensing a zero-crossing (ZC) of an oscillating back electromotive force induced in the motor winding during the time window in which the motor winding is in the tri-state, and producing a ZC sensing signal, which has a first edge at a first time instant at the sensed ZC and a second edge at a second time instant separated from the first time instant by a half oscillation of the oscillating back electromotive force, detecting a phase of a current flowing in the motor winding at a time instant time-shifted with respect to the second time instant of the second edge of the ZC sensing signal, and adjusting the finite time length value based on the detected phase of the current.